Wednesday, March 24

My mother was a 30-year-old new mom when she made her first batch of Italian lemon egg biscuits. She wrapped a few in cellophane and gave them to my older brother to give to his kindergarten teacher. The story goes that the teacher called up my mom begging for the recipe, claiming they were the best cookies she had ever tasted.

Since that day, my mom has baked thousands of lemon egg biscuits. Infused with lemon extract and coated with a sweet, crunchy lemon icing, these cookies are light, cakey and refreshingly citrusy. They're a perennial favorite in her Christmas cookie trays; they appear at every family birthday party; and they grace the dessert table every Easter Sunday.

The kids in our family have always adored lemon egg biscuits. I grew up making them with my mom, and now she is passing on the tradition to her granddaughters. The dough is soft, springy, and easy to roll, making it ideal for children's little hands. The best part is icing and decorating the cookies. Kids love to watch the confectioners' sugar and milk transform into a smooth, creamy white, sweet icing as they stir and stir. Of course, nothing pleases them more than dipping the cookies in the icing and decorating them with loads of colored candy sprinkles.

So today's post is for my nieces, Jessica and Alexandra. Girls, please ask Daddy to print up this recipe, and put it in a safe place. There will come a day, maybe in 2070 when you'll pass it on to your granddaughters. You can tell them, "This recipe is 100 years old, and it's from your Mimi who made the world's best cookies."

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line four large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. In a small bowl, lightly whisk eggs, lemon extract, oil and milk.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix until a dough starts to form. Using your hands, lightly squeeze and knead the dough. If it seems a bit dry, then add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency. The dough should be somewhat sticky and elastic.

5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and roll between lightly floured palms until a smooth ball forms. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.

6. Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottoms. The tops will be white but cooked through. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the icing, whisk the confectioners' sugar and the lemon extract in a small bowl. Add a few drops of milk and continue whisking until the icing is smooth and opaque and clings to the back of a spoon. Taste and add more lemon extract and/or confectioners' sugar, if desired. When it's ready, pour icing through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any tiny clumps of confectioners' sugar.

8. For easy cleanup, place a sheet of parchment paper under a cookie rack before icing cookies. Dip the top of the cookie in the icing, then place on the rack. Decorate with colored candy sprinkles, if desired. Allow to dry completely before storing in an airtight tin or plastic container. Place waxed paper or parchment paper between layers to protect the icing and sprinkles. Properly stored, cookies should last seven to 10 days.

Oh my gosh, they are so pretty! I know I've had cookies like this before, and they ARE truly the best. I have got to make these, pronto, if not for Easter (we have so many desserts already!) then for our wonderful neighbors. Thank you for sharing this special family recipe with us!

My family buys a cookie similar to this from the local Italian deli but why should we buy them anymore if I can make them? They look fantastic. I love the idea that someday they will have been passed down for more than a hundred years.

My italian grandparents made thes, but we called them wedding cookies. We always made them for weddings (also easter) and dyed the icing the brides colors. Love these! Of course they were a small bit of the gigantic cookie tables at every wedding.

this is a recipe I would be proud to pass on to my child - although I think he's more of the eating than the baking kind of kid!I have printed this, going to treat the special people in my life this Easter too. Thank you for sharing this beautiful treat.

Susan.. me definitely will pass your family recipe on... probably a generation or 2 later a food reformation may occur in my country! Your egg biscuits are way too adorable, sure I will make them let more kids to have a good taste of your tradition *big hug*

Hi Food Blogga! My daughter printed out this recipe for me the other day and we just finished baking a batch with my grandson. He loved frosting and decorating them and we all loved eating them. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!

anonymous-Nothing went wrong. My mom always just added milk a few drops at a time until the proper consistency was reached. You don't add it in large amounts b/c if it's too liquidy then you have to keep adding more conf. sugar.

melpy-I'm not sure about the friselles. I have never heard that name before. Of course, as you can see, most Italian desserts come with a variety of names! :)

Thank you for sharing this beautiful family recipe! Not only are they a new Easter tradition in our house but I am making them as favors for my sister's wedding. They taste even better than they look. :)